Met accused of insulting black people with shake-up of anti-racism strategy

"Dr Shereen Daniels, the academic whose report last year on race for the Met found it caused harm to black people, said the organisation lacked the will to stamp out prejudice and warned it was going backwards. Daniels and others said the new plan risked diluting the force's commitment to anti-racism which was already under fire for being too little and too late."

"Sir Mark Rowley stated: 'It is not about becoming nonspecific and nontargeted, quite the opposite. It's about being really deliberate. Where do we do cross-cutting action and where do we do specific actions?' He emphasized that one key area for action will be in relation to black communities, alongside LGBT communities and gender issues."

"Rowley also said DEI, that is diversity, equality and inclusion policies, were increasingly challenged nationally and internationally and subject to volatile and polarised public debate. In the US President Trump has attacked them and in the UK the Reform party has also."

The Metropolitan Police announced plans to integrate its anti-racism strategy into a comprehensive anti-discrimination framework covering race, gender, and sexual orientation. The Met commissioner argued this systemic approach recognizes intersectionality and complexity while maintaining targeted action on specific issues. However, Dr Shereen Daniels, whose research documented harm caused to black people by the Met, criticized the move as insulting and indicative of insufficient commitment to addressing racism. She warned the strategy represents regression rather than progress. Critics contend the broader scheme risks diluting the force's anti-racism focus, which was already considered inadequate. The commissioner cited national and international challenges to diversity, equality, and inclusion policies, emphasizing that inclusive policing remains essential for London's diverse population.

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